Tales of hope and fortitude

Shubhadeep Choudhury

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New Delhi, June 11

Radha (17) is a “Brand Ambassador” against child marriage. “I have been able to prevent 12 child marriages till date,” she says with pride. A resident of Kodarma district in Jharkhand, Radha was designated “Brand Ambassador” by the district administration in acknowledgement of her work.

Radha would have become a victim of child marriage but for the awareness campaign launched at her village by the Bachapan Bachao Andolon (BBA) led by Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi. “A children’s panchayat was held in our village by the BBA. I told them I did not want to get married. Kailash Satyarthi and his associates talked to my parents and convinced them against giving me away in marriage at such a young age”, says Radha, whose father is a village priest. Studying in Class 12, she wants to become a civil servant.

Her friend Champa (18) lives in Giridih. A child worker in a mine in Jamdar village of Jharkhand, she was rescued by BBA activists. Her parents continue to work there. Champa now gets a stipend of Rs 2,500 per month for her needs. Rajesh Jathav (23) was working in a brick-kiln as a child when he was rescued by the BBA. — TNS